The woman listened politely, though it was obvious that she wasn't entirely all there. No, something was bothering her. She had raised her cup to her lips, the liquid bumping against them, but she did not drink. Almost uncharacteristically, she couldn't bring herself to drink it. As Francis touched her hand, what should have been a comforting warmth felt entirely foreign. She knew why; despite the closeness they've developed, she had kept her fair share of secrets. Or rather, the more important ones were a mystery to him. It wasn't that she was afraid of his reaction, but it wasn't the easiest of topics she could bring up. He never asked, she never bothered, though...he did ask, and she preferred not to tell.

How troublesome.

Shion finally took a sip, closing her eyes as she did, though it was short, and she placed the cup down. She would shift so that she was better facing him, deciding that now was as good a time as ever. She would let out a sigh, trying to calm the mental storm in her own mind. "[color=deepskyblue]Rio Corona was a notorious general, one who singlehandedly brought down Archadia. His name stained in history, all to get revenge on the same Empire that destroyed his home.[/color]" She was surprised at how steady her voice was, though she wasn't about to stop. "[color=deepskyblue]Archadia obliterated Nepal...he craved power in every single way, whether physically, magically...romantically...[/color]" 

She couldn't quite hide the bitterness in her voice, though she forced herself to continue. "[color=deepskyblue]History doesn't know what truly became of him. Most say he committed suicide, others state he was assassinated. The truth of the matter is that he was brought to the brink of death by his fiancee, then apparently reclaimed by Venat.[/color]" She had planned to ease into it, but she was getting more annoyed the more she talked. "[color=deepskyblue]I suppose that's why I never speak of my past lovers...[/color]"